Delhi: Customised walk plans for Lajpat, INA markets

NEW DELHI: Busy city places such as the ITO junction or popular shopping zones like Lajpat Nagar and INA Market are all set to become pedestrian-friendly. Customised walk plans for seven locations were approved on Thursday.
Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal chaired the 63rd governing council meeting of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) on Thursday, which was attended by the vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority and other officials of various departments.
In a statement, the LG’s Office said that after detailed deliberations, the proposals for walk plans for INA Market/metro station, ITO junction, Hauz Khas-IIT Delhi, Delhi University’s North and South Campuses, Kamla Nagar and Lajpat Nagar were approved. ‘These plans aim to improve the walking infrastructure and customise them to specific needs of the respective areas,’ the statement said.

Apart from the walk plans, the multi-modal integration plans at Delhi Metro’s Nawada station, Uttam Nagar West station and Janakpuri East stations were also approved.
The status of other projects approved earlier by the governing council were also reviewed and the officials of various agencies and departments advised to ensure time-bound completion as per the scheduled timelines, the statement said.
According to an official, Public Works Department has several joint projects with UTTIPEC, among them the walk plans, their aim of which is to strengthen the existing pedestrian infrastructure in areas where it is ill-maintained or inadequate and develop them in places where it is not currently available.
In case of the IIT Delhi-Hauz Khas project, the plan is to ensure uniform level and width of the footpath from the intersection of Aurobindo Marg and Outer Ring Road to the main gate of IIT-D, with the shifting of dhalaos, dustbins, poles, etc. In DU’s North Campus, the walkability project focuses on creating seamless movement of pedestrians. "It has been observed that there is a lack of enforcement of traffic laws in the area and this needs to be addressed by the traffic police by imposing hefty fines on unauthorised parking," an official said. In February this year, DU representatives requested the study of the area for the walkability project should be expanded to covering the entire campus.
In the case of South campus, the improvement of walkability infrastructure requires shifting of the boundary wall of the railway land along San Martin Road to provide uniform width of footpath. PWD has taken this up with Northern Railways. “The consultant creating the plan also raised the issue of crossing of Ring Road during off-hours and suggested a separate landing and sharing of a foot overbridge by pedestrians,” the official said.
The aim at ITO is to make the junction safe for pedestrians. “There are many offices in the area, as well as two metro stations — ITO and Pragati Maidan — that see heavy footfall throughout the day. The official said, “Apart from these, there are several bus stands on this stretch, making it all the more important to ensure that the area is safe for walkers and well connected too.”